Public Relations
by Angelical Fiend
Summary: Eric is a successful actor; Sookie is a student that captures his attention one night. Rated M for future chapters. AH/AU
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own any of these characters - Charlaine Harris does. They're just so much fun to play with.

**Public Relations**

**Chapter One**

**EPOV**

I'd like to say it started like any other night, but it didn't. Sophie-Anne had been riled up as per usual, but instead of going out with her friends to blow off some steam, she chose me as her target. We had been dating for a few months now and the paparazzi in Hollywood had not been kind. Sophie-Anne Leclerq was an up-and-coming young actress; I had already claimed my place in this world as an "A-lister". The tabloids and papers did everything they could to create some sort of false romance between us. They believed that Sophie-Anne only wanted an association with me so she could propel her career forward. I thought it was a load of crap.

Sophie-Anne did not have a tough skin yet. She bought into what they said about her and let it affect our relationship. The last night we had been together as a couple resulted in her friends dragging her out of my house screaming. That had been after she'd thrown everything she could lay her hands on in my direction.

The fight had mentally exhausted me. I stood there in the living room of my million-dollar home surrounded by debris; there was nothing more I wanted than to get out of my house. Sophie-Anne had irritated me, threatened my life, and all the debris was a physical reminder of that. I _so_ needed a beer.

I decided to go to the small pub that was within walking distance of my home. Truthfully, I didn't go there often; usually I made a public appearance at one of the hotter nightclubs this town had to offer, but I just couldn't take the pressure of it all. The pub was owned by an old friend of mine, Sam Merlotte. I knew he wouldn't give me trouble or alert the press and as I walked into the unassuming pub, I wondered why I didn't come here more often.

I took a seat at the bar. The place was mostly empty tonight. The only patrons were some serious drunks and a few small groups of people: less people to recognize me. The last thing I wanted was to be bothered; Sophie-Anne had made sure that I was already.

Sam Merlotte, himself, was working the bar that night. I looked shocked to see me there taking residence on one of his stools.

"Eric Northman," he said quietly, no need to draw attention. "What a surprise. I haven't seen you since that Sophie-Anne girl started hanging off you. What brings you here?"

I replied with a small smile, "Well that 'Sophie-Anne girl' broke just about every vase in my living room by hurling them at me about an hour ago. Needless to say, we are through."

"Is that all it takes?" Sam asked, amused.

"Afraid so. If she can't handle the pressure, why should I put in the time?"

Sam nodded. I could see that he didn't quite agree with my statement, but to hell with him. I wasn't out to impress anybody tonight.

Sam handed me a scotch on the rocks and left to serve the other customers. I turned around on my bar stool to examine the small crowd. It was nice being in a public place where no one kept staring at you or came up to try to make small talk. That is, it was nice until I noticed a table at which two beautiful ladies sat. There was a blonde and a brunette. The brunette had an obvious sadness hanging around her and the blonde kept chatting away in an attempt to cheer her up. Even though I wasn't that close, the situation was obvious.

"Do you know those girls?" I asked Sam as I motioned at the girls' table. This was one of those pubs that catered to regulars.

"Uh, not their names, but I see them in here often enough."

A small crease formed between my eyebrows. This was not the response I had hoped for. Sam left again to serve the other clientele and I was left to my own devices. I needed a good distraction tonight to put Sophie-Anne out of my mind and ladies' table offered just that. I sat facing them, observing their communication. The brunette constantly looked at her half-empty drink while the blonde emphatically tried to hold her attention. It didn't look like it was going so well. The blonde was enchanting to watch, though. There was a big smile on her face and her long, wavy blonde hair moved around her in the most mesmerizing way. I wanted to meet her.

I was trying to figure out a reasonable way to introduce myself without seeming obvious when I found my chance. The blonde, having slammed back the rest of her drink, stood up from her table and walked off in the direction of the bathrooms. I quickly followed suit.

Luck smiled upon me when I rounded the corner and saw her leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom door. I was curious; the women's bathroom didn't seem occupied.

I was slowly approaching her to go to the men's further down the hall when I saw that she had spotted me. The spark in her eyes and the change in her body told me that she definitely knew who I was.

"You're...," she breathed. I took control of the conversation.

"Hi." I said as I stuck out my hand. It seemed like a trivial thing to do, but I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. "I'm Eric Northman."

She stared at me for a long moment and I wondered if she was more drunk than she appeared. As she took my hand, she seemed to find her way back to the present.

"Sookie Stackhouse." She regarded me cautiously, obviously wondering what I was doing introducing myself to a "nobody" like her.

"Well, Sookie, how's your friend coming along?" I asked referring to the brunette.

She shook her head in defeat. "Slowly. You were watching?" Her eyes evenly bore into mine as she uttered the question.

"Noticing. I noticed." I replied equally as even.

"I see." Sookie pursed her lips, still trying to decipher what it was I wanted. "So, do you come here often?"

I chuckled; I couldn't help it. "No, not really. It's just close to my home and I needed to escape." I wondered if I'd revealed too much.

"You live near _here_?" She was astounded. Was it really so far-fetched that someone like me couldn't live in the city?

"Yes, only a couple of blocks away."

"In a penthouse, no doubt," she stated.

I sighed inwardly. She was trying to peg me, see what kind of man I was without getting to know me. "Yes," I confessed, "I live in a penthouse."

"I see," she repeated.

I had no idea what to make of this woman while she seemed to have a clear understanding of me. It just wasn't fair. She pushed her small body off the wall and faced me fully. She was quite close and when she pulled herself up to her full height, I could see that my 6'4" frame towered over her still, not that I had been expecting her to be an Amazon. She regarded me with her cool blue eyes and I found myself unable to speak. Things I should say raced around in my head, but not a single one was able to escape my mouth.

Naturally, she spoke first, "It was nice meeting you, Eric Northman." She stepped to the side and made to walk pass me, but I blocked her way.

"Wait."

She stopped and looked at me. Annoyance was clear in her eyes; she had probably been away from her friend too long. She crossed her arms under her chest and the action only enhanced her breasts. I forced myself to look at her face.

"You have been judging me and creating an opinion of me the entire... two minutes or so we have been standing here and all I wanted to ask was: will you have a drink with me?" My words came out clear and gentle, but my heart had been pounding in my chest. I couldn't help it; I was nervous. This Sookie Stackhouse with her blonde hair, blue eyes, soft lips, and curvy frame made me nervous. I hated it.

With Sophie-Anne, I had always understood where I had stood. She was like an open book to me; I could always know what to expect from her. I had felt comfortable. Sookie was an anomaly, though. As I stared into those baby blues, I simply waited for an answer. Trying to figure out what she was thinking was pointless.

Sookie's response was this: laughter. She laughed at me. Not big, belly laughs, but a charming laughed that warmed me to the core. Her laughter was like bells and I couldn't help but smile in return.

"I'm sorry," she said in between giggles. "I would, but y'know..."

I gave her a blank look.

"My friend," Sookie explained. "I can't leave her alone. She just broke up with her boyfriend and I don't think that leaving her for you would be a big boost for her self-esteem, if you know what I mean."

"Yes, of course." I did understand what she meant; having sisters does that.

"Well, thanks for the offer, though." She beamed at me.

"Anytime," I sincerely replied and she strode off.

I went into the men's washroom to go over the short exchange in my head. It hadn't gone as well as I had hoped, but at least I knew her name. To be honest, I had just been looking for a rebound; someone to warm me tonight as Sophie-Anne sulked in whatever accommodations she'd been given for the night. I certainly wasn't looking for any type of relationship, that's for sure. I would need time to replace my breakables before anything like that happened.

Yet, I found myself smiling as I washed my hands. While Sookie hadn't given me what I wanted, I wasn't regretting my conversation with her. She had certainly been smart and I realized that I still wanted her. In my bed. Naked.

Maybe I was tired of easy women. There was certainly no satisfaction – other than the sexual one – when you finally landed one. With those types, it was only a matter of putting myself in a public place and waiting. They were like fish that would flop up onto the deck of your boat for you.

Sophie-Anne had been easy, though she had tried her best not to be. She had resisted my advances for about an hour, but all her efforts went down the drain when I had kissed her. After that first night, I kept her around because she'd been a damn good fuck. She knew what I liked, and she knew how to use her body. The conversation had been boring at times, but then again, we didn't really see each other in the daytime that often.

A couple of months into our "relationship", Sophie-Anne had finally shown me her crazy. She was paranoid, always thinking I had a girl on the side, which I didn't. At first, it had seemed harmless. I had written it off as a severe case of jealousy, which I didn't mind at all, but then she had started withholding sex and that's when I realized I had to do something about it.

It didn't take long for Sophie-Anne to reach the climax she had come to tonight. In a way, I had sort of egged her on. But just think! I could've implied that maybe I had been to a nightclub with another woman – my co-worker – or I could've let this madness drag on for another month or so. Severing ties with Sophie-Anne seemed to be the best route. Like a Band-Aid, I just had to rip it off quick.

I was brought back to my present situation when another man entered the washroom. With a brief nod to each other, I exited. I strode back into the bar area with a new purpose: I was going to buy Sookie _and _her friend a drink and then I would be able to continue my pursuit. As I stood at the bar and waited for Sam's attention, I turned and looked at the table where the women had been sitting. A foolish grin had found a place on my face as I had started to put my plan into action, but it quickly disappeared when my eyes did not find what they were seeking. The one thing I had not counted on happening had happened; the girls were gone. Fuck.

**SPOV**

Truthfully, I couldn't get out of there quick enough. _Eric Northman_ had approached me. _Eric Northman _had wanted to buy me a drink. _Eric Northman, Eric Northman, Eric Northman_. My mind repeated his name like a mantra. No matter how many footsteps I put between me and that man, I couldn't let go of the situation.

After my brief encounter with the man, I went back to my table and practically yanked Amelia out of her chair. My distraught, brunette friend had been too busy wallowing in her own depression to even really register my change in attitude.

"Come on," I said roughly, "we are going to go home, eat ice cream until we throw up and watch movies until we pass out."

I looked at Amelia for a reaction. She meekly nodded and kept her eyes on the pavement. I continued my desperate walk home, wanting to be in the safety of my home before Eric Northman even knew we were gone. I cast a glance behind me every now and again making sure that we weren't being followed and that Amelia was still compliantly walking along.

When we reached our apartment and the deadbolt was locked behind us, I grasped Amelia by both shoulders.

"Amelia," I said gently. "Amelia."

She didn't even look at me. The longer the night went on, the more unresponsive she got. I was worried. Normally she was a spitfire, someone who could cheer me up no matter what.

"Amelia." This time I gave her a little shake. Her head bobbed; it was as if I was trying to wake her up when she was asleep. "Snap out of it!"

I knew I sounded desperate, but I didn't know what else to do. All my attempts this evening had gone south. Taking her out to a new place didn't help. Gossip and chatter didn't help. Hell, I'd even seen a few attractive guys at the bar and tried to point them out to her; that only made things worse.

In a last attempt, I told her a lie: "Look Amelia, I'm sure Quinn'll smarten up. He'll see what a mistake he's made and come crawling back to you."

I suppressed a giggle. The thought of the extremely tall, muscular Quinn crawling on his hands and knees was enough to amuse anyone, I'm sure.

Amelia looked up at me at the sound of Quinn's name. I felt awful as I saw a spark of hope in her eye. Quinn would not come back. Even if he did, I wouldn't let him. He had made my best friend comatose within hours of breaking up with her. It was a dangerous relationship those two were involved in and I wouldn't have any of it. I hope Amelia understood that.

Our movie night was somewhat a success. We got dressed in our pyjamas and settled on the couch for a long night. Amelia was out halfway into the first movie. I saw her slump against the armrest and finally she was asleep. Stress and sadness was tiring; I should know.

My first relationship was with a guy named Bill Compton. At first, we were the epitome of happiness and contentment. Nevertheless, by the end, stress and sadness were familiar emotions to me. Bill cheated on me once, but on the outside, I forgave him. After that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get past that bump in our relationship. It was like a canyon, he was on the other side carrying on, and I was stuck.

The distance between us left me emotionally unstable and paranoid. I thought every girl he looked at was sleeping with him and that everyone else was in on it. I never admitted to him that I didn't trust him, however. I wanted this thing to work. I needed it to work. I was tired of being lonely and alone. Bill obviously cared for me and I wanted so desperately to care for him again.

After months of struggling with these emotions, things finally came to a boil. I came home early from my shift waitressing and I found another woman alone in my bed. I didn't know where the hell Bill was and I found that I certainly didn't care. He could go and screw the whole female population if he wanted; I was leaving.

I didn't scream at the woman and I didn't find Bill so we could duke it out. I simply grabbed a suitcase from the closet and filled it with a random assortment of clothes; I would get somebody to send me the rest later. The woman sat in my bed with my sheet held up to modestly cover her breasts. I didn't look at her, but I knew she was watching me.

I think I passed Bill as he emerged from the kitchen on my way out, but I wasn't sure. I had tunnel vision and all I could see was my car. If it was him, he didn't acknowledge me, or if he did, he didn't try hard enough. I got in my car and drove down the gravel driveway with no clear direction in mind. I just wanted as far away from Bill as possible.

I didn't care about the unending road or the darkening sky, but I did notice a city once I arrived. It was bright, it was big, and it was the exact opposite of where I'd departed from. It short, it was perfect.

I slipped out of my reverie as I heard the music for the movie credits. I smiled at myself as I realized I'd been daydreaming for the past forty-five minutes. It was a record, I'm sure.

While my daydream hadn't been a particularly happy one, I found that I was glad Eric Northman hadn't been able to wheedle his way into it. Then I was thinking about him. Him and his golden hair, his tall, slim, muscular body, his blue, blue eyes...

"Damn," I cursed silently to myself.

I turned off the TV and after covering Amelia's form with a blanket, trod off to my room. I was exhausted. Trying to keep Amelia entertained for so long had taken almost every ounce of energy I'd had to spare. I crawled under the down covers of my bed and as I lay there in the darkness, I hoped that she would be better tomorrow. My mind wandered lazily over the events of the day: the devastating phone call, the tissues, the attempts to cheer her up, and lastly the unexpected encounter.

I cursed to myself again, but it came out as a sleepy mumble. I couldn't help as I drifted off to sleep that the last thing I saw was Eric Northman's gorgeous face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** All these character belong to Charlaine Harris. I've just taken a few liberties with them.

**Public Relations**

**Chapter Two**

**SPOV**

I awoke in a panic. The sheets had twisted themselves around my legs, restraining my movement, and my shirt had ridden up to just under my breasts. I was breathing heavily. I had dreamed of him. Somehow, he had infiltrated my last thoughts of the night beforehand and there he had remained.

It hadn't been a sexual dream or anything like that; he had just _been_ there, like a constant reminder or something. Quite honestly, it was unnerving. There was no way I wanted to get involved with this guy. I mean, sure he was good-looking – _really _good-looking – and smart and all that jazz, but there was something about him that just really put me off.

Maybe it was the whole "public eye" thing. I had never been one to go trolling for attention, and I didn't want to start now. There was no way to get into something with someone as famous as Eric Northman and not warrant attention. You could just spell a low-key relationship with Eric Northman I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E. Impossible.

My breathing had returned to normal and I looked at the clock on my nightstand. 10:00 AM: Time to get up. Slowly, I got out of bed. My entire body was resisting leaving the warm cocoon, but my mind definitely had control of the situation. I needed to go check on Amelia.

A quick glance at the couch in the living room told me she was still asleep. I wanted to rouse her soon for fear she would _actually_ end up comatose. For a moment I allowed myself to fantasize of what I would do to Quinn should Amelia end up in that state. A small smile played on my lips as I imagined Quinn cowering beneath me. I had never been a violent person, but somehow my harsh actions felt justified.

A quick cup of coffee later and I was ready to face the world – and Amelia. I shook her gently on the shoulder to wake her up. It didn't take long. Her eyes fluttered open and I immediately stuck the mug of coffee I'd poured for her in front of her face. She sat up and took it gratefully. I sat down on the chair closest to her and waited; I didn't want to start up anything again.

"Thanks for the coffee, Sookie," Amelia offered.

"Of course," I replied. She had to start this day off, not me. I didn't want to mention anything that would remind her of Quinn. Of course, she hadn't forgotten about him completely – I wasn't that stupid – but maybe he was out of her mind for the time being.

Amelia looked at me warily and I realized I'd been staring at her for the better part of her first few sips.

"So..." Amelia said lamely.

"So..." I responded. This was getting us nowhere. I decided to go for a general question. "What do you want to do today?"

When Amelia didn't answer right away, I thought I'd lost her in that abyss that had formed yesterday again. Then she mumbled something.

"What was that, Ames?" I felt like a mother trying to coax something out of her small child.

"Something. I want to do something. I can't stay here all day. It's not... healthy." Her words came out in a rush, except for the last one. There, she had faltered.

"Well, there are lots of things we could do. We could go shopping, or to the movies, or... lots of other things." Again, I was a little hesitant to suggest things. How was I supposed to know what kind of _special_ dates she and Quinn had gone on?

Amelia looked up at me through her lashes. "Why would you suggest shopping? You and I both know you're broke."

I gave her a small smile. "Well, you could go shopping and I could be your... consultant... or something."

"I guess that could be fun." Amelia shrugged her shoulders and looked wistfully off into the distance. "I mean, I _do _need to throw out all that shit Quinn gave me."

**EPOV**

I woke up to a cell phone ringing. I was sprawled on my stomach on a bed with one arm and one leg thrown carelessly over a woman's sleeping form. I lazily retracted my limbs and stretched. The sleeping woman was snoring and I grimaced in response. Certainly, the multitude of drinks I'd consumed the night before had stopped me from waking up in the night to that hideous noise.

I glanced about the room and nodded. I was in a hotel room. The décor and the furniture were familiar so I knew I was at the hotel that was on the same block as my penthouse. It was a place I came to often with women. There was no point in showing them my home if I never planned to see them again. Plus, there was that mess at my place that I hadn't bothered to clean the night before. Goddamn Sophie-Anne.

As I rose from the bed, my pounding head elicited another grimace. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt this disgusting after a night on the town. The overwhelming combination of Sophie-Anne's scene and Sookie's rejection had made me a desperate man. I gently lifted up a lock of hair from the sleeping woman's face. I nodded in approval; she was acceptable.

I slowly put on my clothes and smoothed my hair. A quick glance from my watch told me it was almost noon. It was a good thing I was in between projects because I had a feeling it would take me all day to recover. When I exited the room, the woman on the bed was still snoring.

At the hotel's front desk, I paid the bill. I told them to add whatever else the woman wanted onto the bill and charge my card. I also told them that if she were to ask where I was, I had a meeting I had to be at. The young receptionist smiled at me knowingly; I could've punched him.

This wasn't how I usually did it. More often than not, I'd only be in a city for a couple of days, a week at most. I'd explain this to the woman involved and, if I got her agreement, we'd have a whirlwind "romance". At the end of it all, they'd be happy and I'd be satisfied. I really wasn't into the whole "leave-before-they-know-you're-gone" deal. It was cowardly. Today was an exception, however. I still wasn't really in my right mind due to the night before, and I really wasn't interested in entertaining today. There was no telling how long it would've been until the sleeping woman woke up.

I put on my sunglasses and strode out of the hotel lobby. I walked to my building at a reasonable pace; I was in no hurry, but I didn't want to dawdle either. I had just reached the door to my building when I heard it: bells. Not real bells, but the bells from last night. Ever since I awoke this morning, I had been remembering bits and pieces from the night before. The first thing that I had remembered had been Sookie's laugh.

I turned around, frantically searching for her with my eyes. I saw her and the sad brunette from last night duck into the store beside my building. I considered rushing in after them – I wasn't through with Sookie yet – but one look at my rumpled clothing told me that I should at least change first. Let me tell you this: I had never showered and gotten dressed as quickly as I did that day. Recovery seemed irrelevant.

**SPOV**

I thought I saw him. As Amelia and I walked down Main Street, I thought I saw Eric Northman. I couldn't be sure though; Amelia had been telling a very interesting story, and I wasn't sure what type of reaction I'd get if Amelia thought I wasn't listening. But I had seen someone that looked like him: tall, blonde...

I snorted to myself. That could've been anyone. I knew what my brain was doing. It was imposing all my thoughts of Eric Northman into my day. As I came to that conclusion, I found myself smiling. I would be prepared from here on out for the onslaught of Eric-centered thoughts until my brain had had enough.

I sat down in a chair outside the dressing rooms; Amelia was in one, trying on outfit after outfit. She really was enjoying herself. I picked up one of the magazines on the small table next to the chair and was flipping through it when I heard the front door of the store open. On reflex, I looked up to see who was entering. It was a man: tall, blonde... I shrugged and turned back to my magazine. I was a few ads in when my mind really registered who I had just seen. My head whipped around and I found myself staring at Eric Northman perusing the dress shirts.

I slowly brought the magazine up to hide my face. I didn't know what to do; part of me wanted to walk right out that front door and the other part wanted to hide in a dressing room until he left. I didn't have time to do either because just then a rich, masculine voice filled my ears.

"No one really reads like that, you know."

I lowered the magazine slowly and peered out over the top. There he was in all his... his... manliness and he was laughing at me. Well, not laughing, just chuckling, I suppose.

"Maybe I do," I retorted. I don't know where all my hostility was coming from, but I didn't think I could stop it.

"So you read your magazines an inch away from your face _and_ upside down?" His voice was so innocent in his questioning. His eyes were anything but.

I looked down at the magazine in question and I blush at my faux pas.

"What do you want?" My hostility had died down. Now, I was just plain embarrassed.

Eric Northman chuckled again. "Do not be so embarrassed, Sookie. I merely wanted to continue our conversation from last night."

"You mean the one where you wanted to buy me a drink?" I looked at him skeptically.

"That's right." He smiled at me, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement. I'm pretty sure my heart actually fluttered in my chest. Uh-oh.

Luckily, Amelia chose that moment to emerge from the dressing room. She was wearing a fancy light green shirt and tight, tight jeans. It looked to me like she wanted to go out later.

"Sookie," she started, but then immediately stopped once she realized who I was talking to.

"Amelia..." I tried to speak as well, but Eric Northman took control.

"Amelia," he said. Her name sounded so sensual coming out of his mouth. "Nice to meet you. I'm Eric Northman." He took Amelia's hand with no help from her. She simply stood there, dumbfounded.

"Yes, I know who you are." Amelia's voice sounded dreamy. I wondered what kind of fantasy was playing in _her_ head.

"What a lovely outfit you have on." I watched the exchanged cautiously. Why was he being so charming? What did he _really _want?

The compliment seemed to bring Amelia back to the present. "Yes, I was hoping Sookie and I could go out this evening. I would _love_ to go dancing."

"Dancing?" Eric Northman looked back at me with an odd, yet still amused look on his face. "Where do you ladies normally go?"

"Ether, a couple of blocks over. It's the one we like with the shortest line," Amelia explained.

"Yes, I know of Ether. Well, would you two like to accompany me and a few friends to The Peacock tonight? It's a little more elegant than Ether, but it does have a dance floor."

I rolled my eyes. He certainly wasn't giving up easily. I knew Amelia would absolutely love to go to The Peacock. We'd been trying to get in for the past month or so. Just as I suspected, Amelia gasped in her excitement.

"Would we _ever_!" She looked at me excitedly, but at the same time, I knew she wanted my approval. A sharp memory from the night before told me that I shouldn't deny her a pleasure like this.

"Thanks, Eric," I said coolly. "How generous of you."

"Think nothing of it," he assured me.

"Oh, Sookie! We'll have to get something much fancier than this and don't you worry about it. It's all going on my card..." Amelia continued babbling as she rushed back into the dressing room to change.

Eric Northman walked back over to me slowly allowing me to observe his fine form. Not for the first time I wondered what his form would look like without all those clothes. I looked away, clearing the image from my head.

"So," he began. His voice was very soft and gentle. Eric Northman was squatting directly in front of me so I didn't have to crane my neck to look at him. How considerate. "Shall I pick you two up at 10?"

"No need. We'll just meet you there." I didn't want him thinking this was like a date or something. This was just him doing a nice thing for my friend and I was tagging along.

"Are you sure? It's all the way across town..."

"How do you know we don't _live_ across town?" I asked him bluntly. I was tired of him and his charms. I needed him to leave so I could settle myself down. He seemed appropriately flustered at my question and I smiled to myself in triumph.

"I apologize. I just assumed because I saw you at Merlotte's last night..." He paused as he carefully chose his words. "I mean, it's just doesn't seem like the kind of bar you'd travel all the way across town to go to considering there are bars everywhere."

"Well, maybe I just like Sam," I countered.

"Ah, ah." He had his game face back on. I'd made another mistake. "I'm good friends with Sam Merlotte and he said he didn't even know your name."

"Well..." It was my turn to be flustered. I hadn't planned on this. "Maybe I admire from a distance. Maybe he hasn't had a chance to learn my name yet, but I still like him."

Eric smiled at me. The smile was kind, but a bit of sadness backed it up. "I doubt that. I think if there was something you wanted, you'd just go for it."

Amelia emerged from the dressing room again. This time she was in her normal clothes and her face still sported the bright smile of excitement. Eric Northman rose up from his crouched position.

"Well, I best let you two get on with your day so you'll be ready for this evening," Eric stated as he looked from Amelia to me.

"Yes, thanks again." Amelia couldn't stop beaming. I was glad that something had made her stop thinking of Quinn.

"Don't mention it. My agent will be outside awaiting your arrival at the club. I'll see you at 10." Eric began slowly walking away then he looked at me over his shoulder and winked. "Don't keep me waiting."

**EPOV**

My encounter with Sookie and her friend, Amelia had gone pretty well, I thought. I found myself actually looking forward to this evening. Now, all I had to do was gather up my agent, her latest fling, and a friend. It sounded simple enough.

My agent, Pam, was on board right away; she had planned to go out anyway, she told me. What difference if it was with me. I had told her to bring someone to keep her company. She didn't ask me why.

The next part was the hardest. Finding a man to keep Amelia company was a precarious task if the night before had been any indication. Not too many of my friends were single and out of those few, not many of them would be interested in Amelia.

I was sitting at my dining room table, staring at the phone, waiting for an answer, when someone knocked on my door. I slowly rose and walked to the door, my brain still trying to come up with _someone_ to invite. When I opened the door and there was my answer. Tray Dawson wasn't exactly my friend, but we did go out for drinks occasionally.

"Tray!" I said enthusiastically. He was my only chance. He was single and he liked girls like Amelia. Perfection could not arrive in any other form.

"Hello, Eric," Tray answered warily. My obvious joy at seeing him had thrown him off-kilter.

"What brings you here?" I asked as I ushered him inside.

"Well, I actually needed to talk to you." Tray had never been one to beat around the bush.

"Oh really? What about?" I was a little concerned. This might throw off my whole plan. "A woman?"

Tray shrugged off my suggestion. "Nah, not anything like that. I was just wondering if you could put in a good word with Pam about me." He looked uncomfortable. "I'm tired of just doin' the same shit over and over. I'd like to try something new, y'know?"

I processed exactly what he was telling me. "So you want me to see if Pam can get you an audition."

"Yeah. I mean, you know her already and she's the best there is..."

Tray had never come to me with this kind of favour before. I wondered what had triggered it.

"Are you not getting enough money from your shoots?"

Tray shook his head. "No. It's not that."

"So what is it?"

Tray considered me for a long time before answering. He seemed very sad as he slowly told me, "They say I'm getting too old, too predictable. They want new blood and new faces. I'm not getting as many jobs as I did two years ago and I want to make the switch before I go bankrupt entirely."

"I see." Tray had been one of the top male models in the industry for the past eight years. Even I knew that he only had a year or two left, then no one would want him.

"Well," I continued, "if you want to talk to Pam, you can talk to her tonight. She doesn't listen to a thing I say – you know that – so your best chance would be to approach her yourself. I'm going out with her and a few friends to The Peacock tonight, so if you want your break, be there."

Tray nodded with a look of determination in his eyes. This wouldn't be one opportunity he would let slide by. As Tray exited my penthouse, he turned around and gave me a toothy grin.

"Thanks, Eric," he said.

"Of course. Oh, and Tray?" He looked at me expectantly. "Wear your best tonight."

He nodded before heading off and as I closed the door, I found myself smiling. Maybe tonight would work out better than I thought.

**A/N: **Remember to review! Nothing would please me more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** All these characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I've just borrowed them for a while.

**Public Relations**

**Chapter ****Three**

**SPOV**

The Peacock was busy, as was expected. Given that it was the prime hour, the line to get in ran all the way down the building and around the corner. Amelia was still as excited as she had been in the shop earlier. I, on the other hand, was dreading it.

Amelia and I did look fabulous though. As she had promised, we went to a more formal dress shop to pick out something for this evening. I had gone for a red satin number that hugged every curve in my body. The red fabric shimmered with each movement I made and the black strappy heels that I paired with the dress added a couple of inches to my height. I knew I looked good.

Amelia had opted for a bright blue silk dress that fell to her mid-thigh. The neckline was a perfect black circle that hung off her neck like a necklace. The rest of the blue fabric fell away from her body, hiding her curves. She wore black satin peep toe pumps and I knew she would get at least one good look from every man she passed by. I'm sure she knew it too.

As we approached the front door of The Peacock, I panicked. Eric Northman hadn't told me what his agent looked like. I took a deep breath to steady myself and assumed that he had at least given his agent a description of us. The bouncer at the front door was a boulder of a man. He gave both me and Amelia leering looks as we stood there not quite knowing what to do. We both took a step back simultaneously and were about to walk away when a blonde woman stepped out of the door. She saw us immediately and her eyes seemed to lock on us as she approached.

"There you are," she said. "Right on time." She smiled. I wouldn't exactly call it a warm or inviting smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.

She was wearing a black strapless dress with sequins adorning the bodice every so often. The black chiffon skirt flared out at the waist and fell to her knees. She looked stunning. She must be Eric Northman's agent.

"Hi?" My statement sounded more like a question. I still wasn't sure what to make of this woman.

"Pam Dixon." She offered her hand.

I took it after a moment's hesitation. "I'm Sookie Stackhouse and this is my friend Amelia Broadway."

Amelia shook Pam's hand next. Pam looked her up and down appreciatively.

"Nice to meet you," Pam replied. "Eric is waiting. Let's go in."

Pam walked right past the bouncer without a single look in his direction. He complied and let her through. Amelia and I quickly followed her fast-paced form.

The Peacock was not as crowded as the line outside suggested it might be. All the tables were occupied, but there was still ample room to move about. I suppose this was the attraction of the club: you could dance and drink all you want without fighting the crowd. It was quite nice.

As much as I hated to admit it, I spotted Eric Northman right away. He was wearing all black: black suit, black shirt, black shoes, and no tie. Boy, did he look good. I tried to convince myself that the reason I had seen him so quickly was because he was so tall, but he was sitting down in a large round booth in the far corner of the club. The fact of the matter was that I had been looking for him. He seemed to not notice us as we approached. He was busy being entertained by a large man and a very beautiful, dark-haired woman. I felt a weight on my chest as I saw her captivate both men with whatever story she was telling. I pretended to ignore it.

"Pam," I called out to the slight form in front of Amelia and me. I grabbed Amelia's arm to make her stop as well.

She stopped and looked mildly irritated. I could tell that she just wanted to get back to the table; she was probably tired of running Eric's errand.

"Uh, I just wanted to get a drink first. I'm parched." The truth was this: I could feel my knees wobble with every step that brought me closer to Eric Northman. I was going to need a little reinforcement and goddamn it if I let this intimidating blonde stand in my way.

"Very well, I suppose I could use a drink as well," Pam replied.

She led the way to the bar area that was a little to our left. The three of us crowded against the bar to place our orders. A bartender came over to us right away; I guess it helped that Pam and I were showing a little more cleavage than necessary. The bartender leered in a rather sleazy was as I gave him my drink order, but I think I was the only one who noticed.

Our drinks were put on Eric's tab. Pam and Amelia both ordered shooters; I guess they wanted to get right down to business. I order my usual gin and tonic wanting to start my night off easy. I didn't need to be stumbling and slurring everywhere, that's for sure. With their drinks both done, Pam dragged Amelia over a few feet to have a chat with her. I watched them as they went, but as soon as I saw them stop, I turned back to my drink. Obviously, I wasn't meant to hear what was being said.

The bartender from before came over to me as soon as I was alone. I pretended not to notice him for a while, but it became increasingly difficult as I saw he wasn't leaving. It wasn't like he was just standing there staring at me, – well, actually he was – but he was also putting glasses away. He was doing actual work, just in my direct line of vision. I looked at Pam and Amelia; they were making their way back to where I stood. I quickly downed my drink in a not-so-ladylike manner and turned to face them.

"You ready?" Amelia asked me.

I gave her a curt nod and we continued our journey over to the table. As we left, I couldn't help but look back at the bar; the bartender looked extremely disappointed. When we reached the table, the dark-haired woman was the first to notice our arrival.

"Pam," she said with a huge grin on her face. She slid out of the booth and rose to give Pam a kiss. Amelia and I looked at each other, unsure, but I did feel the weight leave my chest. I didn't think of Eric's attention or the romantic kiss she had just placed on Pam any longer. "Let's go dance."

Pam gave Eric one of her sardonic smiles. "I have delivered them to you, and now I will go have my fun."

Eric laughed at her comment and waved her away. Then his eyes found me.

"Sookie," he said, "How nice to see you again."

His eyes drank me in in the most alluring way and I found myself smiling at his attention.

"Same to you," I replied.

"And Amelia, you do look stunning this evening."

Amelia blushed at his compliment. "Thanks."

"Ladies, this is my friend Tray Dawson," Eric said as he introduced the man on his left. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. Amelia was floored.

"You're Tray Dawson? Gosh, I didn't even recognize you," Amelia exclaimed as she slid into the booth next to him. Tray's pleasant smile didn't waver, though I could tell he wasn't quite sure how to take her statement.

"I mean," Amelia backpedalled, "I used to follow your career constantly when you first got started. You were fabulous."

Then his face and name clicked. I remembered all the pictures of him in Amelia's room seven or eight years ago whenever I went over to visit. She was infatuated with him back then and I could see the emotion surfacing again as she continued to talk to him.

"Sookie," Eric said, trying to get my attention. "Would you like to have a drink or would you care for a dance?"

"A drink first, I think," I said evenly as I slid in next to him. It was obviously where I was intended to sit. Eric had his arm casually draped over the back of the seat and as I ordered my second gin and tonic, I wondered where his hands would end up tonight.

**EPOV**

I had seen Sookie as soon as she walked in. How could I have not? Even with Pam and all her fierce beauty leading the way, Sookie was the one my eyes were drawn to. I allowed myself a short time to appreciate her as she followed in Pam's wake. I didn't want her to catch me staring, which would make me seem overly eager. I wanted to play it cool with this one. I didn't think she'd respond well to a really aggressive advance.

I turned my attention back to Pam's arm candy of the month, Claudine. She really was a beautiful woman, but I still found myself thinking of Sookie and her slow approach. Claudine was telling Tray amusing stories of her clientele and I forced myself to laugh along. All I really wanted to do was scoop Sookie up and take her back to my place. _Play it smart, Northman_, I reminded myself.

I was surprised when Sookie did not reach the table sooner. It was taking longer than expected for her to come to me. I allowed my eyes to casually observe the grand layout that was The Peacock and saw that the three women had taken a detour to the bar. A deep, quiet chuckle rumbled in my chest as I saw Sookie order her liquid courage.

My amusement was cut short, however, when I saw the bartender eyeing Sookie in a most unflattering way. I watched, unable to take my eyes off the situation, as I prayed desperately for Pam to intervene. To my horror, not only did she not intervene, Pam dragged Amelia away to have a little pow-wow while Sookie was left to defend herself against the ever-bold movements of the bartending cretin.

I sat at in my seat, frozen. I could only imagine what I must look like: hands gripping the table, mouth open in shock, eyes wide, sitting up as tall as I can and then some... I was only glad that Pam wasn't here to notice.

By then time I had made up my mind to actually do something about Sookie's situation, Pam and Amelia had finished talking and were walking back to Sookie. I gently lowered myself back into my seat – I had half risen out of it by then – and proceeded to turn my attention back to Claudine's story. I started counting down backwards from 50 in my head to calm myself for Sookie's arrival.

Then she was there at my table. I allowed myself to notice once Claudine stopped talking. I knew she had spotted Pam from the huge smile that broke out on her face. I would not give myself the satisfaction of the same reaction, no matter how much my face struggled against me. The key to a successful evening was to be coy, aloof, whatever the fuck you wanted to call it.

I did allow myself to appreciate Sookie from a closer distance. I ran my eyes up and down her body, appreciating everything. She certainly knew how to dress. With the introductions and greetings out of the way, I gave Sookie a choice: a drink or a dance. At the mention of a dance with me, I saw her expression waver. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

She opted for a drink, which I had expected. I assumed I was going to need some help loosening up Sookie tonight and if gin and tonic was the way to do it, I had no complaints. I casually rested my arm on the back of the booth seat. All I wanted to do was touch her, but I had a feeling I would have to settle for _almost_ touching her which was fine. I would be touching her soon enough on the dance floor.

Though she wasn't particularly close, I could feel heat radiating off her small form. She was watching Pam and Claudine on the dance floor, so she didn't notice me watching her. Pam did though, and as I looked up to see her twirl Claudine about, Pam gave me a rather obvious wink. Thank you Pamela.

Sookie twisted around in her seat to look at me; I smiled at her. I knew she was a little uncomfortable already and I didn't need Pam scaring her off. I could handle that on my own if I so desired.

"So," Sookie began, "do you come _here_ often?"

I laughed, remembering the same question from her from the night before. She really wanted to get a good idea of what I was like before actually getting to know me. I was determined to make it difficult for her.

"I come here as often as I like," I replied, truthfully.

Sookie rolled her eyes in response and turned back to her drink. I laughed and decided to give her a real answer. So much for my plan.

"I've only been here a handful of times." She turned back to me, expectant. "Usually I don't have anyone to dance with."

She let out a sharp laugh and replied, "I find that hard to believe. You could be dancing with any woman right now. Even those two." She motioned to Pam and Claudine.

"Sookie," I said, shaking my head, "I don't want to dance with just any woman."

She turned back to her drink and I could practically see the gears shifting in her head. I leaned back and let her think about _that_ one. A moment later, she put her now empty glass on the table with much more force than necessary and turned back to look at me once more. Sookie gave me a long, hard stare through narrowed eyes as she tried to make a decision about something. I just looked right back at her with a smile. Sookie allowed herself quick glance at her friend to make sure Tray still had her occupied then she grabbed my hand and leaned in close. I held my breath; I had no idea what she was going to do and quite honestly, my heart sped up a little.

"Let's go dance," she whispered, her breath hot on my ear. I could smell lavender in her hair and some other scent I couldn't quite figure out. She smelled heavenly. Images of what could happen later sped through my mind and I was ready to go.

Sookie scooted herself out of the booth seat, not letting go of my hand. It was as if she wanted to make sure that I was definitely coming with her. Silly girl, I wouldn't let her go on the dance floor by herself. Wasn't I the one who had invited her?

As we joined the others on the dance floor, Sookie allowed me to pull her close. I put one hand on the small of her back and took her right hand in my left. She placed her free hand on my shoulder and we started a slow waltz of sorts. Sookie moved quite well and she let me lead; needless to say, I was very impressed. So often had I had controlling women or inept cows as my dance partners. It was nice to flow so freely with someone for a change. She felt so wonderful in my arms I found myself wondering how I was going to let her go.

Sookie did not look at or talk to me for the whole of the first dance. Instead, she spent the entire time staring at my chest. Even with her in heels, I still towered over her. We must have looked like quite the couple.

As we segued into the second song, I felt like this period of silence had gone on for long enough.

"So, Sookie," I began as I looked at her blonde hair. She slowly raised her head to meet my eyes. I was a little surprised at what I saw in those blue orbs of hers. Uncertainty and fear battled each other though she tried to look impassive.

"Sookie," I said again, "you don't have to be afraid."

She frowned at me, defensive already. "I am-"

"Yes, you are. I can see it. What are you afraid of?"

She returned her gaze to my chest. I was fairly certain she would burn a hole through it if she didn't become more comfortable with me.

"Fine," I stated. "You don't have to answer that."

Her blue eyes found mine again as we continued to sway.

"You see, the truth is, I have no _idea_ what to talk about with you and I'm thinking that this conversation is way too one-sided for my liking," I confessed. _Whatever happened to being aloof?_ I wondered. However, my confession earned me a giggle so it wasn't entirely wasteful.

"Well fine then," she replied. "I suppose I can start things off."

We danced a few more steps as I waited for her onslaught of questions. I was thinking about how nice it was to have to small body so close to mine – even though there were layers of clothes separating us – when I heard her first question.

"How long have you lived in the city?"

It was an appropriate question, I suppose. "Only for the past few years."

"And which country is your motherland?" She was grinning broadly now.

"Sweden," I replied evenly.

"You don't sound very Swedish-"

"Having an American accent allows me access to more roles," I interrupted. Why did I feel the need to justify myself to this woman?

"-only when you're nervous."

"Excuse me?" This was too much. I had had three conversations with the woman and already she could pick me apart.

"You have an accent when you're nervous, like now. Don't worry about it. It's slight, but it is there if you listen closely." She patted my shoulder with the hand resting on it as if to reassure me.

"What am I nervous about then?" I challenged her.

"_Well_, you're probably wondering just how much I know about you since this is only our third conversation."

"How did you-"

"I'm a mind-reader," she said bluntly.

"What?" We had stopped dancing by this point. I had no idea what to believe now. I wanted to throw this woman out of my arms almost as much as I wanted to throw her on my bed. What a war.

"I'm kidding," she said. "It doesn't take a genius _or_ a mind-reader to figure out what it is, exactly, that you're made of, Eric Northman."

**SPOV**

As soon as we got out on the dance floor, I realized the error of my ways. Being that close to Eric Northman was torture. I had wanted to tease him a little when I whispered in his ear, but his unintentional reciprocation was almost too much.

I focused on my footwork and keeping my breathing even, so the lack of conversation didn't bother me. It wasn't until Eric spoke up that I realized he was a little uncomfortable. I have to admit that I panicked a little when I realized that I had no idea what to say. I looked up at him, uncertain, but I tried to mask it. Unfortunately, my stubborn self reared her head when he saw right through my mask.

"You don't have to be afraid," he told me. I almost snorted at him in amusement. He was _Eric Northman_ and who was I? Some backwater nobody. _He_ probably had enough money to kill me and get away with it. _I_ barely had a penny to my name.

"I am-" I began, but was cut-off by him. _Excuse me?_ He just interrupted me to tell me he was right. I could've stormed out of there right that moment, but one look at Amelia told me I should stay. She looked like she was having such a good time with Tray... I hope he knows he could potentially be her rebound. _Plus_ Eric's hand was warm on my back _and_ he smelled really good. Hell, if I wasn't so indignant I could've probably stood there all night. _Not gonna happen_ I reminded myself.

"What are you afraid of?" he had asked me. Like hell I was going to tell him. When he told me I didn't have to answer, I looked into his blue eyes wondering what kind of game he was playing here. He was obviously trying to get _something_.

When he confessed that he didn't know what to talk about, I almost burst out laughing again. How could this be so awkward for the both of us on the same level? What were the odds? I figured I had to play it strong here though, not let him on to my own discomfort with our conversation, so I asked him a pretty safe question: "How long have you lived in the city?"

His answer didn't surprise me, but something about his voice did. I almost asked him to repeat what he said, but I decided to just go for it. "And which country is your motherland?" I could've sworn I heard a slight Scandinavian accent when he had answered my previous question, but I couldn't have been sure. The look on his face told me that I had been right on the money. His expression hardened and his eyes narrowed as he answered.

"Sweden," he told me.

"You don't sound very Swedish, only when you're nervous." I was trying to coax more out of him, but he just wouldn't budge. He did make me want to laugh when he wanted to know how I knew. I could've known so many ways: I could have searched his name up on the internet, I could've asked Pam, etc. This way was so much more fun though. Watching him get all flustered like that probably could've amused me all night. However, he _was_ the one to get Amelia out of her funk, so after I told him how I knew, I decided to play nice.

"Anymore questions?" he asked me with just a hint of hostility.

"Not tonight. You can relax," I calmly told him. "I'm sorry, that was mean of me. I shouldn't have pounced on you like that."

Eric took a deep breath before replying. "It's not that. Well maybe it is. It's just that, I like to keep my private life private. Sweden is my escape; no one really harasses you there. I don't even think it's really advertised on the internet that I'm from there, so you can see how a comment like that would take me by surprise."

"Right." I felt thoroughly put in my place after that little speech.

"Let's go have another drink," Eric suggested.

"Yes." I was glad to get off the dance floor. For the last part of our confrontation, we hadn't even been dancing.

Back at the booth, Eric and I sat side-by-side again, but this time he wasn't sitting so close. I wondered if I'd scared him off, but more importantly I wondered why I felt so rejected. It's not like I really wanted his affection, but I had this feeling in my chest that just wouldn't go away.

For the rest of the night, Eric and I danced with everyone else but each other. I even went so far as to accept a dance from an attractive man; he didn't hold a candle to Eric though. I could practically feel Eric's eyes digging into me the entire time. It was really unnerving.

I can't even begin to explain how grateful I was when Amelia wanted to call it a night. I had given up on dancing and had been fidgeting and drinking for the past hour. Needless to say, I was a little bit of a mess.

Tray and Eric escorted us to our taxi – Pam and Claudine had left ages ago – and I even saw Tray give Amelia a peck on the cheek. Unintentionally, I looked up at Eric and saw that he was watching the exchange too, with an almost pained look on his face.

"Thanks for the nice night," I offered. I was talking more about Amelia's night than my own. Eric eyes locked on mine as he tried to make a decision about something.

"Sookie," he began, but I stopped him with a shake of my head. I certainly did not want to hear what he had to say about our night.

"Thanks," I repeated as I walked to the taxi. I just wanted to get home and go to sleep and try to forget this ever happened.

As I took a step towards the taxi, I felt Eric's hand grab my wrist and he yanked me back to him. I had no time to be surprised, though, because when I was fully facing him again, his lips crashed onto mine. I heard myself give a little squeak of shock. His lips were so warm and I could feel heat radiating off his body even though I wasn't touching him. I allowed myself a moment of pleasure as I enjoyed the feel of his lips, but once his tongue grazed my bottom lip, I knew I had to step away.

I gently dislodged my lips from his and took a step backwards. I looked at him with wide eyes and my lips were pursed together. Eric drew himself back up to his full height and regarded me with a satisfied smirk. Bastard.

"Well," I spoke taking backwards steps to the taxi, my eyes never leaving his, "thank you one again." I felt for the top of the taxi with my hand and once I found it, I practically threw myself into the car. The taxi immediately started moving and as we raced down the street, I forced myself to not look back.

"Sookie," Amelia started.

"Not now, Ames. I don't want to talk about it." And that was the truth.

"But you're smiling," she commented.

"Oh, I know." I wanted to keep it all to myself.

Even with my smile on my face, I couldn't help but be disappointed in myself. _Sookie Stackhouse,_ I thought as my hand touched my still tingling lips, _what have you gotten yourself into?_


End file.
